Jazz is dead 1

"An outgrowth of their like-named events at Los Angeles' Lodge Room, the Jazz Is Dead series from Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad begins with this all-originals showcase for some of the inspirational African-American and Brazilian artists with whom the musician/producers have recorded at the former's neighboring studio. Back in 1989, Muhammad's A Tribe Called Quest debuted with a single (...) sampling a Roy Ayers Ubiquity classic (...), so it's appropriate that this set leads with an Ayers collaboration, the slinking "Hey Lover." The saxophone of Gary Bartz, another unforgettable Tribe source (...), glides and flutters through the whirlwind "Distant Mode," the next number. In those songs and what follows, Younge and Muhammad ably modify their signature sound, rooted in late-'60s and early-'70s modes, to suit and spotlight their guests, all of whom released foundational works during the same period ... Even if Jazz Is Dead ended here, the concept would be a triumph".

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"Jazz is Dead is clearly a labor of love for all parties involved. While the purpose of 001 might be to pave the way for upcoming Jazz is Dead releases, the album exists nicely as a standalone example of where modern jazz has been, and where it could be going".

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